Pugh tames windy Monty to win European Amateur

Rhys Pugh of Wales proudly shows off the trophy at Carton House. Picture by Pat CashmanWelsh teenager Rhys Pugh showed why he was such a heart-breaker for the United States in last year’s Walker Cup when he defied winds gusting over 20mph and closed with a sensational six under 66 to win the Chartis sponsored European Individual Amateur Championship by a shot at a windswept Carton House.

The 18 year old from Pontypridd was eight shots behind Sweden’s Pontus Widegren with a round to go but after three days of mild breezes he sensed he had a chance when the wind started to blow and the 7,300 yard faux links started to show its considerable teeth.

He had to survive a nervous 90-minute wait to become the third Welsh winner of a major event on the Montgomerie Course, however, as compatriot James Frazer stood on the 17th tee needing a birdie-eagle finish to force a play-off.

Rhys Pugh holds one up. Picture by Pat CashmanFrazer, who shot a stunning course record 62 on Friday, hit an eight iron to three feet on the 17th and holed the putt but after reducing the downwind 513-yard 18th to a drive and a gap wedge, he agonisingly left his 20 foot eagle putt in the jaws and was forced to settle for second place

Pugh, who won the Irish Amateur Open Strokeplay at Royal Dublin last year, became the third Welshman to win on the Montgomerie Course following Craig Smith’s win in the Irish Amateur Open in 2004 and Stephen Dodd’s 2005 Irish Open victory.

“I always thought I could do it,” said the Pontypridd native, who finished on 11 under par to secure starts in next year’s Irish Open at Carton House and the Open Championship at Muirfield. ” I really like the golf course, it sort of suits me. It’s quite long and I’ve been hitting it a bit further lately.

“I’m in the States and they have a good gym programme over there. I’m just hitting it a bit further recently.

“I thought I’d have to shoot 63, 62 to have a chance but it was a little bit windy so it was tougher. It’s the biggest win of my career. It’s been my dream to play in the Open Championship since I started golf.

“I looked at the scoreboard after nine holes I thought I had a chance if I could pick up a few more. The field was coming back a bit and I was four behind Gonçalo Pinto on eight under. I was thinking if I can get it to 11 or 12 under I might be fine. When I came in, I was leading my two.”

Rhys Pugh struck a lot of solid iron shots on the final day. Picture by Pat CashmanWidegren led by shot overnight on 13 under but slumped to a 77 to finish tied for fourth with Ireland’s Kevin Phelan (71) and Portugal’s Pinto (76) on eight under.

Pinto also had a chance to win or force a play-off but his chance evaporated when he bogeyed the 16th and 17th.

Pugh, on the other hand, was sensational from the start. He went out in 33 with birdies at the third, fifth, seventh and eighth with a solitary bogey at the sixth.

Set to return to East Tennessee State for his second year of US college golf following the Home Internationals and the St Andrews Trophy, Pugh birdied the short third with a six iron to 25 feet and holed a 10 footer at the fifth before a bunkered tee shot at the sixth led to the first to just two bogeys.

After holing a 30 footer at the seventh, he got up and down from behind the eighth for another birdie and then got through the tough opening holes on the back nine in par.

The East Tennessee State Univeristy student believes he has added length this year. Picture by Pat Cashman“On 13 I made bogey,” he said. “I hit my drive too far down there and duffed my chip from 30 yards from the downslope into a bunker. But the eagle on the 15th was key.”

With the wind at his back coming home, he hit an eight iron to two feet at the 15th to get to four under for the day.

He then birdied the 16th from 10 feet and after a par at the short 17th, birdied the last when he chipped poorly to 15 feet after coming up short in two with a seven iron but holed the putt.

Frazer was disappointed to come up just short after playing steady golf to give himself a chance coming down the stretch.

Portugal’s Gonçalo Pinto laments a missed putt late in his round. Picture by Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ie“With that wind, the front nine was playing tougher and all the flags seemed to be pretty far back in the greens,” he said. “It definitely played tough but I gave myself a lot of chances.

“Making pars was the order of the day. I wasn’t thinking anyone was going to shoot as good a score as Rhys did. I thought if I could get round in level par then I would have a chance but obviously after yesterday, shooting another good score was going to be tough.

“I’d said last night that if i could go out and shoot level par that I would have been happy. To shoot 71 was even better. On 17 I hit a really good eight iron to three feet. I knew I had to finish birdie eagle and yesterday I was six under for the last five. So it was good to know I had already done it and could do again.

“I hit a great drive down the last and a good gap wedge to 20 feet. To leave it an inch short was disappointing.”

So near and yet so far for James Frazer. Picture by Pat CashmanKevin Phelan was the best of the Irish in joint fourth with Widegren and Pinto on eight under after a 71.

“I had a pretty good day, I could have putted a bit better,” Phelan said. “I would have given myself a chance if I’d holed a few more putts but I played well overall. It’s quite tough out there so I was happy enough with the result.

“It’s the Home Internationals at Glasgow Gailes next week, so we’re all geared up to go. Most of us have played it in the British Amateur, so I can’t wait.”

Lucan’s Richard O’Donovan tied for 25th after a 71 with British Amateur champion Alan Dunbar a disappointing 41st after a closing 79.

Pugh leads as home brigade lurks in Irish Amateur Open

Rhys Pugh in action in last year’s Abu Dhabi Junior Championship.Welsh teenager Rhys Pugh will take a one-stroke lead over Scotland’s Gordon Stevenson into today’s final 36 holes of the Irish Amateur Open Championship at Royal Dublin.

The 17-year old Pontypridd schoolboy, considered a certainty to represent Great Britain and Ireland in September’s Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen, followed a 72 in Friday’s gales with a two under par 70 in benign conditions yesterday (CSS 75) when he birdied the 18th from 12 feet to lead on two under par 142.

Pugh, that was close! Welsh teen wins Irish Amateur in play-off

GUI President, Eugene Fayne (right), presents the Irish Amateur Open trophy to Rhys Pugh (Wales). Also pictured is JJ Murphy, Captain, The Royal Dublin Golf Club. Credit: Pat Cashman, courtesy GUI.Welsh teenager Rhys Pugh took a giant step towards securing his Walker Cup place when he claimed the Irish Amateur Open after dramatic three-hole aggregate play-off at a wind-lashed Royal Dublin.

As Greystones’ Paul Dunne agonisingly missed out on the extra time action by a shot after lipping out at the last, the 17-year old international from Pontypridd grabbed the first senior win of his career when he beat 22-year old Scot Gordon Stevenson by four shots over the 16th, 17th and 18th in winds gusting over 30 mph.

Hurley flies the flag as Euro stars massacre the Montgomerie

Gary Hurley was delighted with his opening 68 at the Montgomerie Course. Picture: Pat CashmanWest Waterford’s Gary Hurley resisted the Montgomerie Course fear factor to save Ireland’s blushes on the opening day of the European Individual Amateur Championship at a sun-kissed Carton House.

The cream of European amateur golf showed the bunker-strewn, 7,300 yard “inland links” zero respect and while Sweden’s Daniel Jennevret took command with a sparking course record-equalling 64, Hurley and his Munster team mate Geoff Lenehan were the only members of the 17-strong home challenge to break par.

Dunbar back in business at Carton

Alan Dunbar shot a brilliant, eight under 64 on Thursday. Picture: Pat CashmanAlan Dunbar blasted a course record equalling 64 to bounce back into contention for a unique double in the Chartis sponsored European Individual Amateur Championship at Carton House.

Frazer shoots 62 as Widegren takes control

Record man James Frazer after his 62 on the Montgomerie Course at Carton House. Picture by Pat CashmanWelshman James Frazer spectacularly scorched into contention for the Chartis sponsored European Individual Amateur Championship at Carton House when he shaved two shots off the course record with a sensational 10 under 62 on the 7,300 yard Montgomerie Course.